Rigidity gripped the Malwa area of Punjab after a conflict broke out between farmers affiliated to Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Ugrahan and the police on the Ramdittewala village within the Mansa district through which three station home officers have been critically injured on Wednesday evening. Autos belonging to each the police and farmers have been reportedly broken through the conflict.
The farmers clashed with the police when round 300 BKU Ugrahan members, together with Jaswinder Brass, president of BKU Ugrahan in Patiala, travelled by way of Mansa in 50 autos to achieve the Lelewala village in Bathinda. They have been on their method to a website the place a protest was occurring relating to alleged insufficient compensation for land acquisition for a gasoline pipeline undertaking.
The primary conflict occurred within the Bhikhi space of Mansa, the place Gurvir Singh, SHO of the Bhikhi police station, tried to cease the convoy. “The SHO simply requested them the place the convoy was going, however they tried to run over him and moved forward, breaking the police barricades. Each his arms have been fractured and he was admitted to a hospital in Bathinda. He must be operated now,” mentioned Bhagirath Singh Meena, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mansa.
“The following confrontation passed off within the Ramdittewala village, the place Jasvir Singh, the SHO of the Budhlada police station, sustained a head harm after a farmer struck him with a lathi. Moreover, Daljit Singh, the SHO of Mansa Metropolis 2, suffered a wrist fracture and an ankle harm. We’re investigating the incident and can file an FIR in accordance with the legislation,” added Meena.
In the meantime, farmers alleged that the police used lathi prices to disperse them and tried to cease their convoy from reaching Bathinda. Nevertheless, the SSP denied these claims and mentioned, “Our officers have been solely attempting to investigate in regards to the convoy’s vacation spot. The farmers left a few of their autos at Ramdittewala and continued forward. Nobody has been detained.”
Based on sources, one farmer is the custody of the Mansa police and all others reached the Lelewala protest website.
A dharna by the BKU Ugrahan supporters at Lelewala village in Bathinda district on Thursday afternoon.
Protest considerations compensation for land acquisition
Speaking to The Indian Categorical, Shingara Singh Mann, state vp of BKU Ugrahan, mentioned, “A number of police checkposts have been established in varied Malwa districts to limit farmers from getting into Bathinda. At one in every of these checkpoints, the police used pressure in opposition to the farmers, ensuing within the arrest of many. The police are actually claiming that in addition they sustained accidents through the incident. The police broken 15 to twenty autos by breaking window panes with canes. Jaswinder Singh Brass and practically 20 others have been detained, however many farmers nonetheless managed to achieve the Lelewala village.”
He added, “Practically 17 farmer leaders have been detained by the Bathinda police as effectively. Earlier, the police detained a couple of others on Wednesday morning and launched them at evening. Extra have been detained now.”
On the contentious gasoline pipeline undertaking, he mentioned, “A Gujarat firm is laying a gasoline pipeline within the space, and it’s passing by way of many villages. Our demand is to present us compensation on the charge of Rs 24 lakh per acre. We now have no points with pipeline laying. That they had agreed to this compensation quantity, however now they’re once more in a rush to put the pipeline with out awarding the compensation first.”
“On Wednesday morning, they began laying pipeline in a clandestine method which we objected to. On Thursday, we gave a name for statewide protest on the Lelewala village however the police tried to create hurdles in order that union members couldn’t attain the protest website. Regardless of all of the hurdles, many have managed to achieve,” mentioned Ram Singh Bhainibagha, Mansa district president of BKU Ugrahan.
Harjinder Singh Baggi, Bathinda district common secretary of BKU Ugrahan, mentioned, “A written settlement was made on Might 15, 2023, in a gathering chaired by the deputy commissioner of Bathinda. It was agreed that no work on the pipeline would begin till all farmers have been compensated Rs 24 lakh per acre. They even uprooted standing wheat crops with bulldozers. Protesters have been arrested, and the belongings of the 1.5-year-old protest camp at Lelewala have been confiscated. Objects seized included two tractors, a fridge, coolers, a few dozen bikes, cellphones of 19 farmers, ration, cylinders, and cooking gear.”
The Might 15 choice was made after protests have been held within the Behman Kaur Singh Wala village of Bathinda, the place the same pipeline set up was about to begin.
Late Wednesday night, the police launched the detained farmers and returned the confiscated objects. Farmers and the Bathinda district administration additionally met, however the assembly remained inconclusive.
When contacted Amneet Kaur Kondal, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, mentioned, “We detained 18-19 farmers Wednesday morning and launched them within the night. We’re prepared to barter with their leaders for an amicable answer. They’re asking to launch detained union members throughout the state. The talks are happening.”
Requested in regards to the police preparations in view of a statewide protest, she mentioned, “Adequate pressure and anti-riot gear have been organized on the website, however we’re open to dialogue and negotiations.”
